Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Phaedra 1962

If you’re looking for a
good updating of the Phaedra legend (and who isn’t?) you could do a lot
worse than this hot house 1962 version. I won’t be giving anything away
since we all know that things don’t turn out so good for Phaedra and
just what was she thinking anyway taking up with her stepson and
tempting the fates. In the 1962 modern day version directed by the one
time blacklisted Jules Dassin who left Hollywood and arrived in Paris in
1953 where he eventually would do ok making “Rififi” a swell crime
heist movie and the big international hit “Never On Sunday” which made
an international star of Melina. Dassin and Melina would later tie the
knot and lived a long and creative life together. In this version that I
first saw when I was 15 at the old Astor Theatre on Flatbush Avenue in
Brooklyn things still don’t turn out so good for her.
Phaedra is played with shock and awe by the great Melina Mecuri who
makes a memorable entrance and devours everything in her path including a
poor somewhat miscast Anthony Perkins who is a little too soft and fey
for the part. He does his best though including showing us the outline
of his private parts in tight white pants. Still set in
Greece with short trips to London and Paris Melina/Phaedra is married to
shipping magnate Raf Vallone all hairy and intense who spoils her and
their young son with everything that his billions can buy including some
great looking early 60’s clothes designed by the great Theoni V.
Aldredge who got an Oscar nomination for the duds.
Melina of course looks great especially in some lovely white creations
topped off by big dark glasses and turbans. She’s off and running and is
warned and warned by her dour lesbian assistant-companion to lay off
Perkins, but does she listen? Of course not. A few
years later I would have two close encounters with the leads. One early
Saturday or was it a Sunday morning in 1967 or 68 I was in Washington
Sq. Park when I noticed a small commotion in the distance that was
moving closer to me. I realized that it was a camera crew and leading
the way was Melina Mercouri who passed right near me and wished me a
“good morning young man.” I was of course dumb struck. A few years later
as I waited for a bus on 6th ave in the 20’s Tony Perkins rode by me on
his bike, slowed down gave me an in my face slow cruise and when I
didn’t respond fast enough off he went. Listen this is not a great work
of art, but its fun and very high pitched with a good score by Mikis
Theodorakis and crisp black and white cinematography by Jacques Natteau,
and I would watch Melina any time of the day or night. I wish she were
still with us slinking down sun-drenched streets with her white turbans
and dark glasses.